A teacher visiting his dying brother in the Bronx. A mysterious journal from the 19th century stolen from a boarding house. A therapy clown and an assassin, both presumed dead, but perhaps not dead at all. With her distinctive, irresistible wordplay, and singular wry humor and wisdom, Lorrie Moore has given us a magic box of longing and surprise as she writes about love and rebirth and the pull towards life. Bold, meditative and theatrical, I AM HOMELESS IF THIS IS NOT MY HOME is an inventive, poetic portrait of lovers and siblings as it questions the stories we have been told that may or may not be true.

In her new collection of stories, her first in 15 years, Lorrie Moore explores the passage of time and summons up its inevitable sorrows and hilarious pitfalls. Here are people beset, burdened, buoyed; protected by raising teenage children; dating after divorce; facing the serious illness of a longtime friend; setting forth on a romantic assignation abroad but having it interrupted mid-trip, and coming to understand the larger ramifications and the impossibility of the connection.

Lorrie Moore's ability to blend quick wit and hilarious observations of current trends with moving portraits of people struggling with loneliness, confusion, and the desire for love has made her one of the most admired writers of our time. Capturing the mood of post-9/11 America with astonishing deftness and precision, A Gate at the Stairs showcases Moore at the height of her powers.